Dela Rosa believes ICC probe will lead nowhere

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 23) — Sen. Bato dela Rosa on Thursday said he believes the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe on the alleged human rights violations during the Duterte administration’s drug war will lead nowhere, reiterating it has no jurisdiction after the Philippines withdrew from the international tribunal in 2019.

“Wala patutunguhan talaga,” Dela Rosa told CNN Philippines’ The Source. “Respetuhin nila yung ating foreign policy pagdating sa bagay na ‘yan dahil nga ayaw na nga ng ating gobyerno, umalis na nga tayo sa ICC… so, as I see it, [it's] deadlock.”

[Translation: It will go nowhere. They should respect our foreign policy when it comes to that thing especially because our government already refused, we also already left the ICC, so as I see it, it's a deadlock.]

After the ICC’s pre-trial chamber approved the resumption of the drug war probe, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday that he cannot cooperate with the investigation since the Philippines is a sovereign nation and “we are not colonies anymore of these former imperialists.”

The former police chief, who was earlier named in a report by the ICC prosecutor, said he expected this stand from the chief executive.

Dela Rosa said the Court has yet to coordinate with him.

He earlier mentioned that he had tapped fellow Sen. Francis Tolentino to be his counsel.

According to Dela Rosa, he last discussed the matter with former President Rodrigo Duterte in December, who just laughed at it.

The senator also maintained that country’s justice system is enough to give justice to the victims.

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